Peek is a word for lookingthe act of directing your eyes toward something quickly or secretlyin a hidden or private way, without others knowing, usually in a way that is brief and not fully open or obvious. It can be a noun or a verb, dependingchanging according to the situation or how something is used on how it is used.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /pik/
Easy pronunciation: PEEK (approximate spelling).
Stress: Single-syllable word; the only syllable is stressed.
Verb sense: to take a quick or secret look.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Peek Meaning
to look briefly, often secretly
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to take a quick or secret look
Example: I peeked through the curtain to see who was outside.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- glance — A brief look; works well for the verb sense of looking quickly.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Peek
Meaning 2
a brief secret look
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a secret look
Example: She took a peek at the gift before her birthday.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- peep — A good noun synonym meaning a quick or secret look.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Peek Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- glance
noun: a secret look
- peep
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using peek as a noun when the context needs the verb, or using it as a verb when a noun is needed.
- Confusing peek with peep: they are close in meaning, but peek is more commonly used as a verb and peep as a noun in many contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does peek mean?
Peek means to look quickly or secretly, usually for a moment only.
What is a good synonym for peek?
For the verb, glance is a strong synonym. For the noun sense, peep is a close synonym.
Is peek always a verb?
No. Peek can be a verb, as in “I peeked inside,” or a noun, as in “take a peek.”
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
